What American Sports Need

What makes European soccer (okay, it's "football," but I'm using soccer to avoid any confusion), and probably all European sports, so wonderful is a dreaded term called "relegation."

For ease of discussion, I'll use English soccer as an example. There's a "top-flight" division called the Premiership. It's the best. Major Leagues. #1. If you play in the Premiership, you're one of the best.

BUT- what happens if you end up at the bottom of the league? Out of 20 teams, if your team is one of the bottom 3 - you get "relegated." Dropped. Gone. You stink once again. No longer do you play in the Premiership, you play in the League Championship - or, in other words, second best. Almost the majors. And we have a term for that - minor league.

On the flip side, if you play in the League Championship, and you finish in the top three - yep, you guessed it - you get to move UP to the Premiership. Your team always has the chance to make it to the big time. You may only stay one year, but you get to play against the big boys: ManUtd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, ....

So why do I make such a big deal about this? Because the Kansas City Royals would have a reason to play to win. Right now (maybe a bad example, since the season's almost over, but anyway), right now, they and Tampa Bay are the two worst teams in Major League Baseball. They're horrible. In fact, I often forget that Tampa Bay has a baseball team (they once had Fred McGriff, and that's like the only Devil Ray I could name).

At this point, why should Tampa Bay care whether they win or lose? Why should the Royals play hard when the season is a lost cause? Do fans actually go to baseball games in these towns? However, if they face the possibility of being dropped from the Majors, I think they'd keep fighting. They'd try to be 4th-worst, not THE worst.

Moreover, you'd have a continual change in those teams that stink. You wouldn't have to put up with the Devil Rays every year. Once they're gone, the next year you get to play the champions of the second-division (if there were one). So while they may not be on par with the Yankees, for example, they might at least be better than those horrible Devil Rays and Royals.

You may say to yourself- but Mr. Davis, if your plan were implemented, we might not get to see the revival of such teams as the Tigers and Marlins (to a lesser degree, who seem to vascillate between World Champions and bottom rung at the turn of the tide). The Tigers, for example, had a measely winning percentage of .265 back in 2003- they only won 43 games that year- they've more than doubled that this year. They would be stuck in the "minors" if you're plan were in place. Well, maybe. But it also means that you must fight for the right to play.

No more mediocre sports. Make every game worthwhile. That's why I watch the Premiership. That's why soccer is the best sport in the world.